BajaNomad - Baja Robbery Sept 29th

Baja Robbery Sept 29th

pascuale - 10-5-2007 at 05:15 PM

This was taken from another site. I know we are sick of these incidents but might find it useful in some ways. It wont stop me from the place I love.
Ethan

Date: 2007-10-04 17:38:29
Name: Jesse Ferris
Message:

I was told by a friend that this would be a site that may be interested in a baja incident that happened last week.

3 am Saturday September 29

Don’t drive in Baja at night.

Yes, this is another not so good Baja story but please read on. The point of this is not to scare people but to make people aware. We need to make a stink about the recent events so hopefully we can attract media attention to the situation in Baja. The basic bottom line to the situation is that there is a kind of guerilla war between the federally’s and local policia. The hijacking and robbings that are occurring are from certain corrupt cops and banditos who are friends with them. They want to control areas so they can hold up people, make money and steal. The fedarally’s want to take over the checkpoints so they can look for obvious drugs and weapons, and send people on their way, people that are going to sped money. The fedarally’s are our friends, they are the ones who keep the law and order, not take bribes. Our media needs to put pressure on Mexico so they see that they are loosing gringo’s money. Hopefully with or without our help the federally’s can again take over the law and order of Mexico so again it will be a pleasure to go there.

We were Leaving for scorpion bay at about 1 am from North County caravanning in two pickups. We get to the border close to two or two thirty. The border agents are cool as can be as normal and we go on our way. As we approach the second and last hill as you head onto the toll road we get to the first checkpoint. Once we got nearer to the front of the line we realized there could be trouble as we saw flashing blue lights indicating that it was a policia checkpoint rather than a federally checkpoint.
The “policia” had a well-orchestrated system going. It was set up well as organized crime. They all had uniforms on which tells me that I can be very sure that it was a mix of policia and banditos. They were all caring pistols although they never did draw them.
Sure as chit the first truck, which Andrew Kelso, (Rich Kelso’s son) was driving pulled off to the side. As we approached the officer took asked and took my friends license and told us to pull over. There were so many cars we had to drive about 75 yards to pull over. We pulled up behind Kelso’s truck and saw both of them get thrown in handcuffs as soon as they got out of their car. I looked at my friend and knew it wasn’t going to be good. We got out of our truck and sure enough they out us in handcuffs too. This was before they even looked through our trucks.
They dug around in our trucks and found two camping pocketknives, one in each truck. They had a field day with those findings. There were five cops in a semicircle around my friend and me as we stood against his truck. A few of them were calm; a couple were high on either coke or meth. They kept telling us we were going to see a judge and he would decide our fate, that we were probably facing 4 to 8 years in a federal prison.
It was not fun being in handcuffs looking at a wall across the street knowing that you were powerless. For a few scattered scary moments not knowing if you were going to ever see your home again. But remaining calm is always a virtue.
During the time we were standing there from what I could see there were probably 15 plus cars pulled over, although from what I could see, we were the only ones in handcuffs.
Oddly enough I was relatively calm during the ordeal, believe me or not. We were there for probably 30 to 45 minutes. I had been pulled over many times before in Mexico and was waiting for the words that finally came.
“You can follow us to the station or pay your fine here.”
We all felt relieved except for the fact that they got all four of us for about 1300 dollars. We gave them the cash that we had, luckily my cash except for 65 was hidden and Kelso was lucky that his wasn’t found. They unlooked the cuffs and we got into our trucks and drove off.
We drove to Ensenada then made a circle and came back home. We came back to the place where the checkpoint was and it being an hour and a half later, it was no longer there. When we got to the borderline about five hours after our departure the agent handed us our passports and said, “ next time you should hide you money better.” I wanted to reply to that but we drove off instead.
Looking back we all feel very fortunate to come out how we did. It’s something that we will remember for the rest of our lives. It is also going to make a great campfire story next time were sitting around a fire above a perfect Baja point break. For the time being don’t drive at night, but enjoy. I hope our experiences can enlighten and also help the situation.

bajabound2005 - 10-5-2007 at 05:53 PM

I'm not anywhere in this story that they reported this to anyone.

woody with a view - 10-5-2007 at 06:01 PM

a "random" policia checkpoint? when are the mexicans gonna take control of their country?

edit:spelling

[Edited on 10-6-2007 by woody in ob]

woody with a view - 10-5-2007 at 06:08 PM

$1300 for two pocketknives????????? darwin's "theory of evolution/survival of the fittest" comes to mind..........

jerry - 10-5-2007 at 06:15 PM

woodyi think thats what the feds are trying to take care of??

Minnow - 10-5-2007 at 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajabound2005
I'm not anywhere in this story that they reported this to anyone.

I am sure if you look hard enough you can find something in there that you had something to do with. :lol:

woody with a view - 10-5-2007 at 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Minnow

Quote:

Originally posted by bajabound2005
I'm not anywhere in this story that they reported this to anyone.

I am sure if you look hard enough you can find something in there that you had something to do with. :lol:

YES

Packoderm - 10-5-2007 at 08:49 PM

If this were to happen to me on any of the last several trips, I would have pulled out one wallet from one of my back pockets with less than 100 dollars and a separate paper wallet from the other back pocket with about 1200 dollars in traveler's checks. That's how I do it. They would be less inclined to believe that I was hiding any other money - why should I be? I would even offer to sign the checks in my feigned naiveness. I guess for me, the traveler's checks serve as reserve funds and as a decoy. It might be possible that I am one the very, very few people who travels Baja with traveler's checks, but it is so easy to do with a quick stop at my bank. With all these robbings lately, maybe traveler's checks will come back into vogue.

Bajagypsy - 10-6-2007 at 07:22 AM

I'm sorry this happened to these people but Oonce again, I'm ammazed that people are crossing the border at that time of night. It's not that we never drive at night, but I think the latest that we have ever been was arriving into TJ at around 11:00 pm. It just doesn't make for smart travel.

mtgoat666 - 10-6-2007 at 07:24 AM

confirms what i always have known: don't drive at night, and never trust a cop, majority are bad characters, so safer to assume ALL are bad apples (same applies in both Mex and US).
a roadblock like this was probably run by bad cops, and good cops (if there are such things) probably knew about it and just turned a blind eye because they would rather see somebody robbed than rat out a bad cop.
also, never look like outsider, otherwise cop vultures will steal from you. for instance, victims in this story were probably young surfer punks from gringolandia, and cops probably found them easy marks that appeared to not be type that could cause trouble later. if you look like a local or friend of locals, i think cops less likely to rob you, due to fear you may know someone they know.
remember: never trust any cop in any country, and never drive at nite in mexico.

Bajafun777 - 10-6-2007 at 09:26 AM

mtgoat666, you got to kidding, right??? If you truly think all cops are "bad apples" you must have some life issues to rethink. Some of your posting I could take or leave but not the phrase of all cops are bad, your just plain wrong!!!!! Mexico definately has some issues in their police hirings and training but they are working on it, it did not happen over night and it will not go away over night. Mexico also has an issue of these highway robberies on the toll road trips people are posting and it would be real easy for them to stage a set-up a moving trap on these idiots. Here in the States sometimes we have cops doing things wrong but I know for a fact internal affairs will be their next nightmare. I think your post was a quick blip that was part real and part jest, I hope. Later==========bajafun777

lizard lips - 10-6-2007 at 10:52 AM

Lived here 22 years and this is a new one. Two pocket knives $1300.00.

I've got some beach front property in Ciudad Juarez for sale. Im sure you would be interested.........

Martyman - 10-8-2007 at 09:52 AM

Surfboards=weed to alot of mexican police. I'd be very careful with bringing surfboards in the future

Mexitron - 10-8-2007 at 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Martyman
Surfboards=weed to alot of mexican police. I'd be very careful with bringing surfboards in the future

Uh...then why go?

Minnow - 10-8-2007 at 02:46 PM

Marty is right. The surfers always get extra screwtiny. Spelling intended. :lol:

Sharksbaja - 10-8-2007 at 02:54 PM

We all know how dangerous surfers are. The prisons are just packed wiff em! pelling intended :lol:

And they litter profusely!

Bajaboy - 10-8-2007 at 02:57 PM

I'm confused as to why they didn't go see the judge? I wouldn't hand over $1300. Also, why is he getting pulled over so often?

Yell at me all you want but this sounds a bit off in my opinion.

Zac

Cap - 10-8-2007 at 03:17 PM

You are right something is off here

I think it has been pointed out that one should read between the lines on this one. I was born at night.... but not last night

DENNIS - 10-8-2007 at 03:18 PM

Run it through Smell Check.

Sharksbaja - 10-8-2007 at 03:23 PM

Right........!? If this is all true, would YOU go off anywhere with these guys?? :no:

[Edited on 10-8-2007 by Sharksbaja]

longlegsinlapaz - 10-8-2007 at 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajaboy
I'm confused as to why they didn't go see the judge? I wouldn't hand over $1300. Also, why is he getting pulled over so often?

Yell at me all you want but this sounds a bit off in my opinion.

Zac

Zac & others....go back & re-read the opening post. This was an aggressive "handcuff upon exiting the vehicle" stop at an apparent police roadblock. This is WAY outside the scope of a single traffic cop pulling you over for mordita! This is intimidation in a foreign country to the max!

Sadly, I don't doubt the veracity of this post. And when they recrossed back to the USA it had to have been a US border agent who told them to hide their $$ better NEXT TIME, rather than taking a report! :?:

I do feel each & every one of these incidents should be immediately reported both to the border agents & the nearest US police department to where the incident occurred; as well as to news organizations.

BajaDave - 10-11-2007 at 12:25 AM

Some bad cops made a quick 1300 because these guys chose not to go to the station. Gee, I wonder why there are some crooked cops and if they'll continue to utilize these tactics? Thanks alot, guys! You make it safer for all of us.... NOT!

CaboRon - 10-11-2007 at 12:48 PM

Don't, Don't, Don't, Don't EVER drive at night...

- CaboRon